Advisory retainer: outside perspective, without adding headcount.
Ongoing, monthly access to an operator’s view on technology, operations, commercial decisions, customer situations, delivery, leadership and management cadence. Remote, wherever you are.
For leaders who want a sounding board that has run the thing.
What a month can look like.
Usually it’s more than that: a gap between what was expected and what was delivered.
Go in person, listen first, and come back with one owner and one dated commitment.
Usually it’s more than that: a question about where the cost moves in year two.
Normalise both proposals to the same scope, three-year cost and exit terms before anyone compares price.
Usually it’s more than that: a workflow, data and accountability question.
Pick one repetitive workflow, measure it, and name who stays accountable.
Illustrative situations. Not client specifics.
Continuity, not a one-off opinion.
Two scheduled 60-minute sessions each month by video.
Email or message access between sessions, answered within two working days. Not an emergency line; extra calls need at least 48 hours’ notice, subject to availability.
Proposals, plans and board or management papers reviewed before the decisions they support.
Technology · operations · commercial decisions · customer situations · delivery · leadership · management cadence.
Format, duration and price.
Advisory retainer
Ongoing outside perspective, without adding headcount.
Technology · operations · commercial decisions · customer situations · delivery · leadership · management cadence
- FORMAT
- Monthly retainer: two scheduled 60-minute video sessions a month, plus email or message access between sessions
- DURATION
- Monthly, rolling. Minimum three months, then month to month.
- PRICE
- By conversation. It depends on cadence, access and how much reading sits between sessions. Terms are confirmed in writing before work begins.
- PAYMENT
- Billed monthly, in advance, in USD
- CANCELLATION
- 30 days’ written notice, taking effect no earlier than the end of the agreed minimum term (three months unless agreed otherwise).
- WHERE
- Remote, worldwide
- TIME ZONES
- I’m based in Dubai (GMT+4) and work with clients across the US, UK, Europe and beyond. We agree a time that suits your time zone.
- BEFORE WE START
- A first conversation about what you want the retainer to change
Indicative USD pricing. Scope and commercial terms are confirmed in writing before work begins.
How booking works.
Talk. Tell me about the business and what’s on your desk. Many retainers start after a diagnostic or a short scoping conversation, so we both know where the time should go.
Fit check. I reply to confirm whether I’m the right person and suggest next steps, usually within two working days. If I’m not, I’ll say so.
In writing. Scope, timing and commercial terms are confirmed in writing. Payment is made in advance, and the booking is confirmed once it’s received.
Start. You send context or material beforehand, and we begin by video — you’ll receive a video call link with your confirmation.
Questions about the advisory retainer.
How much does an advisory retainer cost?
It is priced by conversation, based on how often we meet, how much access you need between sessions and how much material I review. It is confirmed in writing before work begins.
What’s the difference between a retainer and embedded leadership?
On a retainer I advise; you and your team decide and execute. In embedded leadership I carry part of the execution myself, inside the organisation, for three months or more.
Can we start with a diagnostic?
Yes, and it’s often the better start. A diagnostic gives both of us a clear picture of where the retainer’s time will matter most.
More questions? See the full FAQ →